Best Unbranded TV Advertisement/Campaign

GOLD AWARDPorter Novelli New York and Shire“Adult ADHD is Real” PSA Campaign

“Adult ADHD is Real.” That's the message ADHD advocacy groups ADHD Coaches Organization, Attention Deficit Disorder Association, and Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder—with support from Shire and PR activities from Porter Novelli—sought to get across.

Objectives of the campaign involved raising awareness for adults that ADHD can affect them too and to encourage them to speak with their healthcare provider if they suspect they suffer from the disorder. Some of the challenges Porter Novelli faced were overcoming the stigma associated with ADHD, educating the public that it isn't just a disorder that affects children and developing campaign messages that would resonate with the target audience.

The national multimedia PSA campaign enlisted actor Howie Mandel, host of Deal or No Deal, as its spokesman. Mandel suffers from the disorder and states in the promo: “I am involved in this campaign because I want people to know that ADHD is a real and treatable medical disorder. I know because I'm one of the estimated 10 million adults believed to have ADHD.…I want you to know that it's never too late to seek help for ADHD.”

“Honest testimonial from a credible celebrity,” said one judge. “Nice description of the condition and call-to-action to visit the website.”

The PSA used a simple message and tried to steer clear of clutter by employing Mandel as its spokesman and listing the disorder's symptoms and explaining how that can carry over to an adult's life. For example, the condition can make it difficult for sufferers to pay attention, be organized, complete tasks or maintain relationships.

The ad enlisted a clear call-to-action to visit the website AdultADHDisReal.com and take an ADHD self-screener test. “Matter-of-fact approach with a clean call to action,” concluded one judge.

More than 13 million men have it but only 1.5 million have been diagnosed. That was the challenge for Solvay Pharmaceuticals when creating an unbranded education effort about low testosterone (or low T). The manufacturer enlisted Cline Davis & Mann Princeton to launch an unbranded national media plan with a small budget. The ads used the actor's shadow to convey the activities he was missing out on because of low T. “Great example of unbranded/disease state advertising,” remarked one judge. “Mysterious and intriguing.”